Mr Wood Recycler

Yes, maybe a box spring headed to the dump & I know it is “junk”. But the first time I tore apart a box spring I realized that you could get a fair amount of rough pine this is the latest box spring I tore down. This wood is handy for jig & backing on projects. The best thing is it is free.

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In 2003 I could no longer work due to disabilities as a result of my Military service in Vietnam. I went from making about $110K a year to immediately making less than $13K! I was used to going to the Big Box stores and buying what I wanted, when I wanted.

After going on disability, one quickly learns there are days the Big Box stores sells “culled” lumber early in the morning (mostly to Contractors who are aware of the offer) packed together for mere pennies on the dollar. Although, most of the lumber needs to be trimmed to cull out bad spots, etc. my wife and I were able to easily build a small lean-to shop/carport for pennies. We also searched out and found “salvage” places that sometimes ended up getting used lumber and purchased excellent lumber there too!

As my income has tripled over the years – we still search out lumber to re-use! One can not imagine the deals you can find from old furniture people throw out that has great wood ….

And, that is some good looking pine you took out of that mattress!

-- " .... For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother.”

I have a good friend that owns an industrial radiator repair shop he rebuilds radiators for some of the largest mining equipment in the world. Most of the radiator cores are craeted in 3/4 pine I of course get it all. Most of the early items I built were from that pine. Even now if a see a pile of wood by a house or barn I’ll stop and see if I can get it.

Good find.One persons junk is another persons gold mine. (My yard is starting to look a little goldy these days). I try to salvage enough material during summer to keep me busy in colder months.There are so many places that have free materials, we only need to search them out. I worked at Habitat Re-store for one summer. I couldn’t believe what people would GIVE away ! It is good to see people using these places ,rather than the dump and NOBODY gets it.

Reduce, reuse, recycle. My wife makes fun of me because I drive around on trash night and pick through other peoples “trash” for usable wood. I also “dumpster dive” at construction sites when the dumps are left on the road (or close to it.) Pallets, broken furniture, firewood, you name it. I have reused it. We live in disposable society. We buy cheap things (at not so cheap prices) and then throw them away when we are bored, or it costs more to fix than the purchase price. It is so wasteful. So more power to all LJ’s who reuse this diminishing commodity we all love.

Recently, a relative sold his old house. In the basement was this huge (7 ft x 2 ft x 3ft) plywood box. He was just going to throw it away. I have no need for a box that large, but I don’t want those large pieces of nice plywood to end up in the dump so I brought the box home and disassembled it. I got 4 very nice and still useably large pieces of plywood just itching to be made into a shop cabinet or something like that. There was even a few nice hinges.